This invention is directed to an improvement in the method of manufacturing a composite article having a high clarity icon and an improved article produced by the method. My prior method and article are disclosed in my patent application Ser. No. 08/583,522, filed Jan. 5, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,556 and assigned to the same assignee as this application, which patent application and patent are incorporated herein by reference. One aspect of my previous method involved the injection molding of an opaque plastic from the rear surface of a composite article through passages formed in a light transmitting anvil and a core to assist in forming a thin front layer of opaque plastic around the front of the icon without forming what are called "weld lines" which may occur when a molten plastic is flowed in a thin layer over a relatively wide area. When more complex icons are created, especially icons formed of a string of letters creating a word, the icon so formed is more likely to be elongated in one direction thus requiring passages in the anvil to be spaced along the elongated dimension of the composite article. To properly supply a molten plastic to these passages, a sprue runner is provided across the base of the light transmitting anvil. In the completed composite article, such a runner would obstruct the passage of light through the light transmitting anvil and core.
Therefore, an object of this invention is a method of manufacturing a composite article having an icon in its front face which method permits the formation of a thin layer of plastic over the front face of the composite article, which article is elongated in at least one dimension, by flowing the molten plastic through passages formed in a light transmitting anvil and core without diminishing the light transmitting qualities of the icon formed in the front face of the article.
Another object of this invention is a method of removing the molten opaque plastic deposited in the passages of a light transmitting anvil in a composite article without disturbing the thin layer of plastic deposited over the front face of the composite article surrounding an icon.
A further object of this invention is a method of removing the molten opaque plastic deposited in the passages of the light transmitting anvil and contained in a sprue runner which is attached to the deposited plastic and ejecting the plastic during the molding process.
Yet another object of this invention is a composite plastic object having an elongated icon on the front face of the object which icon is surrounded by a thin opaque layer of plastic which is free of "weld lines".
Still another object of this invention is a composite plastic object having a backlighted elongated icon which is interlocked with its outer shell without significant loss of its light transmitting ability.
Other objects may be found in the following specification, claims and drawings.